ATS-6 Satellite Instructional Television Experiment

The Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) is scheduled for the second year of satellite operation. Applications Technology Satellite (ATS-6) will receive C-band video signals frorn Abmedabad and Delhi, India, and will retransmitt the video and two audio sub-carriers at 860 MHz to 6 clusters of 400 direct-receive stations for a total of 2400 direct-receive stations. Morning programs of 1.5 hours per day are designed for classroom use, and evening programs of 2.5 hours duration are designed for village adult education. Indian production antennas and television sets have been tested and found to meet specifications, and a successful experiment is anticipated.     

ATS-6 Television Relay Using Small Terminals Experiment

The Television Relay Using Small Terminals (TRUST) Experiment was designed to advance and prornote the technology of broadcasting satellites. A constant envelope television FM signal was transmitted at C band to the ATS-6 Earth coverage hom and retransmitted at 860 MHz through the 9-m antenna to a low-cost direct-readout ground station. The experiment demonstrated that high-quality television and audio can be received by lowcost direct-receive ground stations. Predetection bandwidths significantly less than predicted by Carson's rule can be utilized with minimal degradation of either monochrome or color pictures. Two separate techniques of dual audio channel transmission have been demonstrated to be suitable for low-cost applications.     

ATS-6 Millimeter Wave Propagation and Communications Experiments at 20 and 30 GHz

The Applications Technology Satellite (ATS-6) Millimeter Wave Experiment, developed and implemented by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, has provided the first direct measurements of 20-and 30-GHz Earth-space links from an orbiting satellite. Studies at eleven locations in the continental United States were directed at an evaluation of rain attenuation effects, scintillations, depolarization, site diversity, coherence bandwidth, and analog and digital communications techniques In addition to direct measurements on the 20-and 30-GHz links, methods of attenuation prediction with radars, rain gauges, and radiometers were developed and compared with the directly measured attenuation. This paper presents a review of the major results of the first year of measurements with ATS-6, with emphasis on the impact of the measurements on millimeter wave space systems design.     

ATS-6 Preliminary Results from the 13/18-GHz COMSAT Propagation Experiment

The 13/18-GHz COMSAT Propagation Experiment (CPE) is reviewed, the data acquisition and processing are discussed, and samples of preliminary results are presented. The need for measurements of both hydrometeor-induced attenuation statistics and diversity effectiveness is brought out The facilitation of the experiment-CPE dual frequency and diversity site location, the CPE ground transmit terminals, the CPE transponder on Applications Technology Satellite-6 (ATS-6), and the CPE receive and data acquisition system-is briefly examined. The on-line preprocessing of the received signal is reviewed, followed by a discussion of the off-line processing of this database to remove signal fluctuations not due to hydrometeors. Finally, samples of the results of first-level analysis of the resultant data for the 18-GHz diversity site near Boston, Mass., and for the dual frequency 13/18-GHz site near Detroit, Mich., are presented and discussed.     

ATS-6 Experiment Summary

The ATS-6 is the most advanced experimental satellite that has evolved from the Application Technology Satellite Program conducted and implemented by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC). This project utilizes a state-of-the-art spacecraft and ground terminal network to perform advance studies and to conduct technological demonstrations in a large number of scientific areas. The design and implementation of this unique spacecraft permitted multiple experimentation simultaneously. The control of the spacecraft is performed at ATS Operational Control Center (ATSOCC) located at NASA/GSFC. Experimentation which was performed covered a wide spectrum of communications, technological, meterorological, and scientific subjects. Three principal ground terminals are utilized to assist the experimenters to acquire data. Data reduction and analysis are performed by the many facilities at NASA/GSFC in support of the experimenters.     

ATS-6 Radio Beacon Experiment: The First Year

The Radio Beacon Experiment is designed to measure the total electron content and ionospheric content between the satellite and any observer within its field of view. Since Applications Technology Satellite-6 (ATS-6) is visible from about 43 percent of the Earth's surface, an international community of observers have made measurements using it. The radio parameters have to be measured to an accuracy of a few percent, which requires good system calibration and stability. The spaceborne beacon transmits signals on frequencies of 40, 140, and 360 MHz with amplitude modulations of 1 MHz and/or 0.1 MHz for the measurement of modulation phase, Faraday rotation, and amplitude. The overall system objectives and requirements are discussed along with the design of the ATS-6 transmitter and the receiver in Boulder, Colo. The role of the principal investigator in the context of the international program is considered with particular reference to the joint National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/Max Planck Institute (MPI) observation program. Monthly median hourly values of total content, plasmaspheric content, and shape factor show distinct diurnal and seasonal variations. A specific event is described to illustrate the use of a spaced receiver network.     

Military Satellite Communications Using Small Earth Terminals

Satellite communications technology has reached the stage at which it is feasible to develop a reliable military tactical communications system using small transportable Earth terminals. This paper discusses the design considerations involved for a multiple-access system, with particular reference to the Earth terminals.     

Recent progress in satellite radio beacon studies with particular emphasis on the ATS-6 radio beacon experiment

In May 1974 a new era in satellite radio beacon studies of the ionosphere opened with the ATS-6 Radio Beacon Experiment. The history of radio beacon studies up to that time is reviewed briefly and the particular features of the ATS-6 beacon are discussed together with the basic theory required to interpret the measurements. The main emphasis is on the ATS-6 beacon experiment but other beacon data are discussed which provide the necessary background. The diurnal and seasonal variations of the total electron content and the plasmaspheric content are presented for the U.S.A. and Europe. In winter the plasmaspheric content over the Western Hemisphere maximizes at night while in Europe and the Pacific it appears to peak near noon. This is thought to be caused by flow of plasma from the local and conjugate ionospheres. Night maxima of total electron content are found showing that they do not arise from depletions of the plasmaspheric content. The plasmaspheric content is highly sensitive to solarterrestrial disturbance, it reaches a minimum on the third day of a storm and may take between 10 and 20 days of partial filling and emptying to recover. Traveling disturbances in U.S.A., Europe, and India show similarities of speeds but not of direction. Beacon observations of micropulsations in total content, tropospheric fluctuations and Fresnel diffraction by intense ionospheric irregularities are discussed together with radio wave scintillations and some applications of beacon radio data to communications and navigation.     

Velocity changes of the Giotto spacecraft induced during the flybys of the comets P/Halley and P/Grigg-Skjellerup

The Giotto Radio-Science Experiment (GRE) was designed to measure the reaction of the spacecraft to its close encounters with the comets P/Halley and P/Grigg-Skjellerup. Radio frequency and signal level data of the downlink carrier signals at X- and S-band, recorded at many ground-based tracking stations, were used for the previous analysis. These signals were transmitted in “one-way” mode (Giotto - Earth) during a few hours about closest approach and in “two-way” mode (Earth - Giotto - Earth) during the adjacent pre-encounter and post-encounter tracking intervals. Unexpectedly large differences for the comet-induced Doppler shift residual of the Giotto signal were implied by the one-way versus the two-way data, a discrepancy which was attributed to instabilities of the on-board oscillator during the encounter. The analysis to date assumed that the two-way Doppler shift residual is exactly twice the one-way residual. As shown in this note, this is not generally the case. The spacecraft's change in velocity, which is measured in a rotating (non-inertial) system, must first be determined in the non-rotating frame by applying the appropriate coordinate transformation. The GRE results should be reinvestigated to account for this previously unrecognized effect.     

Communication from Mars: Requirements and Limitations

The exploration of our nearest planets will require relaying large amounts of data to Earth for study and evaluation. However, our ability to communicate at interplanetary distances is limited. In this paper, an evaluation is made of our capability to communicate from the vicinity of Mars using the present S-band deep-space network, prospects for enhancing that performance, and limitations beyond which no additional improvement seems feasible. In addition, requirements for real-time television are evaluated and prospects for improving the communication rates by operating at higher microwave frequencies considered.     

Performance Evaluation of a Satellite-Linked Experimental Network

The objectives and results of an evaluation of the performance of a U. S. Public Health Service network consisting of small earth terminals linked via the Communications Technology Satellite are documented. The main objective of the evaluation was to assess the technical performance of the network in terms of channel quality, system availability, and equipment maintainability. In addition, its capability for broad geographical coverage, channel sharing, and digital transmission was also evaluated.     

ATS-6 Interferometer

The Applications Technology Satellite-6 (ATS-6) RF interferometer is utilized primarily as a precision 3-axis attitude sensor having an unambiguous field of view of 350°. This function requires two separated ground transmitters, each using one of the two available frequency channels or sharing a single channel by time multiplexing. For 3-axis control, one uplink transmitter can provide 2-axis attitude (pitch and roll) with other sensors (e.g., a Polaris tracker) providing yaw attitude. By utilizing two uplink transmitters and the Earth sensor or three time multiplexed uplink transmitters, the interferometer can also provide measurements of ATS-6 spacecraft orbit position. Uplink frequencies are 6.150 and 6.155 GHz. The receiving antennas are spaced at 19.95 wavelengths (?) for the vernier baseline and 1.66 ? for the coarse baseline. Spacecraft system weight is 8.39 kg (18.5 lb) and power requirement is 15.5 W. Flight evaluation results are given for the interferometer including R F link budgets, modulation of uplink carrier, signal-to-noise ratio, and dropout behavior. A hardware calibration model is described, containing major biases in the phase measurements. Techniques for flight calibration as both an attitude and spacecraft position sensor are outlined . Flight testing has shown that on-line calibration of receiver/converter biases must be performed on a short term routine basis. Interferometer resolution was found to be 0.00140 space angle with negligible noise (jitter) at transmitted power levels above 72 dBW. As an attitude sensor, the interferometer has demonstrated the ability to provide stabilization to better than 0.     

Orbit Determination Accuracies Using Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking

The results are reported of the ATS-6/GEOS-3 and the ATS-6 NIMBUS-6 satellite-to-satellite orbit determination experiments. NASA intends to use the tracking data relay satellite system for operational orbit determination of NASA satellites. Hence, in the near future, satellite-to-satellite tracking data will be routinely processed to obtain orbits. The satellite-to-satellite tracking system used in the ATS-6/NIMBUS-6 and ATS-6/GEOS-3 experiments performed with a resolution of 1 to 2 m in range and less than 1 mm/s in range rate for a 10-s averaging. A Bayesian least squares estimation technique utilizing independent ranging to the synchronous relay satellite was determined to be the most effective procedure for estimating orbits from satellite-to-satellite tracking data. The use of this technique yields estimates of user satellite orbits which are comparable in accuracy to what is usually obtained from ground based systems.     

SIR-C/X-SAR: A multifaceted radar

The multifaceted Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) was successfully flown twice in 1994 aboard the Shuttle Endeavour as part of an international imaging radar mission. The United States SIR-C operated at L- and C-band, each with multiple polarization, utilizing an active phased array antenna. The German/Italian X-SAR operated at X-band with a single polarization. SIR-C and X-SAR operated synchronously to collect data over common sites. Data were collected for repeat-track interferometric processing at all three frequencies. A total of 143 hours (93 terabits) of SAR data were digitally recorded on tape over the two flights for subsequent processing in the U.S., Germany, and Italy. This advanced multifrequency/multipolarization system has produced a rich radar data set for Earth scientific investigation and demonstration of spaceborne radar remote sensing capabilities     

ATS-6 UCSD Auroral Particles Experiment

The University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Auroral Particles Experiment on the Applications Technology Satellite-6 (ATS-6) consists of five electrostatic charged particle detectors. The features which contribute to the uniqueness of the UCSD data include a rotation capability which often allows sampling very near the direction of the magnetic field, an energy range of five orders of magnitude with a lower extreme of less than 1 eV, and a very large geometric factor which results both from a postenergy analysis electrostatic lens and from the unique ovoidal shape of the analyzing plates. A preliminary look at a subset of UCSD magnetospheric data emphasizes those phenomena which are observed as a result of the new features described. These phenomena include intense magnetic field aligned auroral particles, a persistent and very low energy dusk region enhancement, and low energy 1-10-s fluctuations tentatively identified as Alfven waves.     

导航辅助下基于LAS码的天基多目标测控

中继卫星的天基测控是解决中低轨道航天器大范围、长时间、多目标测控的有效途径,但用户星到中继卫星的时延误差、多普勒频移校正误差等参数会对多目标测控带来干扰。针对该问题,首先分析了定位误差引起的时延误差、多普勒频移校正误差等因素,设计了天基多目标前向链路遥控SMA(S-band Multiple Access,S频段多址)信号形式和反向遥测链路SMA信号形式,选择与时延校正误差相匹配的LAS(Large Area Synchronous,大区域同步)码作为反向遥测信息的扩频码,建立了导航辅助的终端时延和频率预校正方案模型,可以有效消除多用户干扰。仿真表明,当Eb/N0≥10.5dB时,前向遥控信息误码率pe≤1×10~(-6),反向遥测信息误码率pe≤1×10~(-6),使用LAS码比Gold序列约有2dB性能改善,为基于我国天链卫星的中低轨道卫星稳定运行、载人航天交会对接以及后续空间站建设等任务的测控提供重要参考。     

ATS-6 Spacecraft Attitude Precision Pointing & Slewing Adaptive Control Experiment

The primary objective of the Spacecraft Attitude Precision Pointing and Slewing Adaptive Control (SAPPSAC) Experiment is to establish feasibility and evaluate capabilities of a ground-based spacecraft attitude control system, wherein RF command and telemetry links, together with a ground station on-line minicomputer, perform closed loop attitude control of the Applications Technology Satellite -6 (ATS-6). The ground processor is described, including operational characteristics and the controller software. Attitude maneuvers include precision pointing to fixed targets, slewing between targets, and generation of prescribed ground tracks. Test results show high performance and reliability for over 30 h of on-line control with no serious anomalies. Attitude stabilization relative to a prescribed target has been achieved to better than 0.007° in pitch and roll and 0.020° in yaw for a period of 43 min. Ground tracks were generated which had maximum latitude/longitude deviations less than 0.150 from reference.     

Japan's CS (Sakura) Communications Satellite Experiments

The Japanese Communications Satellite (CS), called Sakura, is a "Medium Capacity Communications Satellite for Experimental Purposes" and is the first experimental communications satellite in which 30/20 GHz bands were adopted and were developed for practical domestic use. Large scale field trials have been carried out for more than three years in order to evaluate 30/20 GHz (Ka-band) and 6/4 GHz (C-band) domestic satellite communications system technologies under actual operational conditions by using the CS Sakura launched in December 1977. Through the various experiments on Kand C-band large fixed and small transportable Earth station systems, satellite control experiments, and Ka-band propagation measurements, it has been verified that the medium capacity satellite communications system meets the design objectives.